1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a position recognition technique, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for reckoning the position of a moving robot using dead-reckoning and range sensing.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, robots have been developed for use in industry as a part of factory automation or to perform tasks that are repetitive, dangerous, and/or difficult. Robot engineering has been directed to space applications as well as humanized robots for home use. In addition, robots are being installed inside of people to cure ailments that cannot be cured by existing medical devices. Such robot engineering has received much attention as the most advanced field that will substitute for the biotechnology field as the most popular after the information revolution based on the Internet.
An example of a robot for home use includes a cleaning robot, which serves as a leading example of how heavy industry based robot engineering limited to industrial robots is being extended and transformed into light industry based robot engineering.
A cleaning robot generally includes a driving means for movement, a cleaning means for cleaning, and a monitoring means for sensing a front obstacle. The driving means includes a driving motor exerting a driving force, a caterpillar or wheel having a specified diameter, driven by the driving motor, and a driving control circuit controlling driving operation. The cleaning means includes a dust collector collecting dust to remove it, and a dust collecting control circuit controlling the dust collecting action. The monitoring means includes a monitoring camera for capturing a front obstacle, and a transmitter for transmitting an image captured by the monitoring camera to a user.
A conventional cleaning robot 1 of the above-described configurations is moved toward another direction within a limited area 2 if an obstacle appears through the monitoring means, as shown in FIG. 1. Accordingly, there results portions of the area where cleaning may not be performed. Also, a moving path of the cleaning robot 1 is inefficient.
A recent cleaning robot 3, as shown in FIG. 2, reckons its position using a certain means, and reduces cleaning time and energy consumption by moving through an optimal path after identifying a target area 2.
As described above, for a moving robot, such as a cleaning robot, which moves within a certain area, a technique for allowing the moving robot to accurately identify its position (i.e., accurate localization) is required. However, since users often unintentionally move the moving robot (so called “kidnapping”), a method of allowing the moving robot to reset its position is required.